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editor's perspective
Work Backward
Amazon did not get here by accident.
S
tart with the customer and work
backward. That's how Amazon's
Colin Puckett explained the secret
of the online retailer's success to
those attending the 2018 MAFSI Sales and
Marketing Conference in Naples, Fla.
Since its launch in April of 2015,
Amazon's business-to-business (B2B) base
has grown to more than 1 million custom-
ers, Puckett said. And it shows no signs
of slowing down. Amazon expects its B2B
business to be larger than its consumer
business because businesses spend more.
Amazon continues to grow so fast by
never taking its eye off its two core prin-
ciples. First, Amazon remains true to its
vision of trying to be the most customer-
centric company in the world, Puckett said.
Second, it never stops trying to innovate.
In doing so, Amazon listens to what
customers tell us they need and innovate
around that, Puckett said.
Today people can use their devices and
computers to order whatever they want and
have it delivered quickly in their personal lives.
Amazon understands people want that type
of experience in their professional lives, too.
True, businesses buy and sell goods differently
than consumers, but that does not mean the
experience has to be slow and cumbersome.
Amazon developed ways to automate
workflow to make it easier for companies to
manage their spending and conduct business
using its platform. As such, Amazon now offers
business pricing, quantity discounts, enhanced
content such as user guides and price manuals
and much more. In other words, Amazon de-
veloped tools to help its platform work within
the rules of a customer's business.
There's a demand in the restaurant
industry for an Amazon-like experience,
specifically around foodservice equipment
and supplies, Puckett added.
Amazon did not get here by accident.
As Puckett said, every one of the com-
pany's innovations started with a customer
saying "We love you but …"
Prior to this MAFSI presentation at
the end of January, Amazon's impact on the
restaurant industry had been confined to
hushed conversations. Puckett's presenta-
tion to hundreds of members of the food-
service industry dragged the Amazon
issue into the mainstream discussion.
The post-presentation interpretations
ranged from depressingly fatalistic to almost
Pollyannaish optimism. Some felt the pre-
sentation foretold the end of reps. Others
felt it signaled the end is near for dealers.
Oddly enough, everyone seemed to ignore
the operator in their assessments.
From my perspective, one thing remains
clear: Amazon serves as proof positive that
people's preferences are no longer defined
by their personal and professional lives. As
such, customers will reward those compa-
nies that provide value on their terms and
not the other way around.
To keep up with more sophisticated
competitors, like Amazon, all members of the
industry — operators included — may not
need to develop a sophisticated e-commerce
platform. They will, however, need to do a
better job of listening, probing their custom-
ers to determine their challenges and mine
the data already available to them to provide
meaningful goods and services.
8 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MARCH 2018
Joseph M. Carbonara, Editorial Director